thoughts about marketing sparked by events

05/02/2008

Does it dwisott?

Translation - Does it do what it says on the tin? A great marketing phrase invented by the clever people at Ronseal that now gets applied to lots of different products and has made it into OUP idioms.

What is sad is that so often the product promise is at odds with the product experience. I've just moved doctors because I moved house, and was dreading the experience. My last surgery wouldn't issue anyone an appointment more than a day in advance. This was because if they forced people to phone up on the morning of the day they wanted the appointment, they made the government's target for seeing people in less than 48 hours. You couldn't book a non urgent appointment to suit your convenience. And you had to call between 8:30 and 9 or there were no appointments. Too bad, call tomorrow. The staff were surly, the waiting room dreary and tired, the doctor's offices pretty dire.

When I went into the new surgery in Central London there were a number of interesting differences. There was a smiling person behind the desk, but there was also an automated check in for people who were willing to use the touchscreen with large letters and a very easy to use display. Because this was my first time, I got given forms to fill in, asked a couple of questions, and had to show some id. I had my national health card, so the nice person behind the desk said, "good, one less form to fill in" and took one of the forms back.

I'm registered. I can call any time to book an appointment. They will do non urgent appointments at a mutually convenient time. They have a vampire service (sorry blood taking service) that happens every morning for routine bloodwork. And my nic shiny new national health card arrived in the mail less than a week after I handed it in.

You know, some of the investment in the national health service might just be paying off. My wife tells me that all the doctors that she has met at the surgery are nice, competent, helpful. Just maybe the practice does dwisott.